Pope Francis has sent a personal emissary to Iraq and is calling for the entire world to act to stop the genocide in Iraq.

Update: Catholic Online reports-"Earlier we posted a misquote from our sources. We originally attributed the statement "a professional well-equipped army" to Pope Francis. This quote is correctly attributed to the Chaldean Patriarch, Louis Sako.

Pope Francis has joined with Christians facing genocide in Iraq and Syria, calling upon the world to join him in "Prayer and Action' to bring peace to the troubled region. Calling for international action, he has asked the world to "stop these crimes."

POPE FRANCIS HAS JOINED WITH CHRISTIANS FACING GENOCIDE IN IRAQ AND SYRIA, CALLING UPON THE WORLD TO MAKE AN ARMED RESPONSE TO THE ISLAMIC STATE. HE HAS ASKED THE WORLD TO "STOP THESE CRIMES" AND CALLED FOR THE USE OF "A PROFESSIONAL, WELL-EQUIPPED ARMY." LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - You know a situation is bad when a pope calls for an armed response. Pope Francis, widely appreciated as a practical and realistic man, is not just calling for a cease-fire or negotiations. Instead, he is inviting an armed response to the terrorism of the Islamic State.

Such a call is virtually unprecedented for a pontiff in modern times, but our age is an extraordinary one and the Islamic State has no interest in a bargaining table. Instead, the Islamic State is bent on genocide and barbarism, ruthlessly exterminating anyone who opposes them.